Snakes have been found inside the Skeldon Hospital and this major issue was at the centre of discussion at a recently-held Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
The Skeldon Hospital compound
PPP Councillor Lloyd Douglas said he killed a snake while visiting the hospital.
“Skeldon Hospital, I went there and that hospital is infested with snakes. I personally killed one; snakes inside the room. As a matter of fact, that hospital compound is a breathing ground for snakes,” Douglas declared to the RDC; he reported too that the hospital’s weeding machine is broken.
Acting Administrator for the Skeldon Hospital, Shurla Scott who is also a Regional Councillor for the coalition, was present at the meeting and confirmed that indeed the reptile was killed in the hospital. She however refuted claims of an infestation, as Douglas reported.
Scott however noted that following the incident the Regional Administration was contacted and immediately rendered assistance. “The Region has contracted out the slashing of the hospital compound so if we are going to make comments, we have to start from the Regional level. The contract is for one month and it is to have the compound slashed once per month, so you cannot attack the Skeldon administration,” she said in defence of the hospital’s management.
Douglas said too that apart from the snakes, there is a shortage of essential drugs. “This is putting more pressure on the poor working class people when they have to go to the drugstore and purchase drugs,” he said, while displaying two prescriptions which he received from the Skeldon Hospital. Douglas told the gathering that under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration, such conditions did not exist.
Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephens, while acknowledging that there are concerns at the Skeldon Hospital, noted that several persons have been given contracts to weed the compound. He said despite reports, conditions at the hospital have been improving and provided data to substantiate his claim.
“We have seen in excess of 28,000 more patients for the first half of this year than for the first half of last year because Surinamese are now accessing the facility because healthcare is free over here and very expensive there. So from time to time it throws the drug forecasting out because we cannot fully forecast the numbers coming from Suriname. However it is a work in progress,” Stephens said.
